Automatic safety valve



Dec. 2, 1930 C. M. LIEBER 1,783,440

AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVE Filed Dec. 2e, 1929 FIG. I.

@mwm BY f Patented Dec. 2,) 1930 UNITED. STATES CARL M. LIEBER, F OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA AUTOMATIC SAFETY VALVE Application filed December 26, 1929. Serial No. 416,614.

My invention relates to safety valves, particularly valves for use with oil well casing. The objects of my invention are to provide a device of this class which is new, novel,

practical and of utility; which will be used upon well casing in the cellar of a well drilling rig; which will yprovide a means for automatlcally closing-in the well in case of iire; which will thus prevent much loss of life and property; which may be used equally as well upon gas supply lines leading to buildings, for cutting off the gas supply to the building in case of fire; which may, when desired, be selectively operated; which 'will be simple in installation; which will be positive in action; which will be strong and durable; and which will be eflicient in accomi plishing all the purposes for which it is intended.

Great loss is frequent-ly occasioned by the inability to shut in the flow of oil or gas from a well. This is particularly true when the flow catches on re.

My device provides a positive means for shuttingin the well when desired, and an automatic means for shutting in the ow from the well if it becomes ignited.

With these and other objects in view as will more fully appear, my invention `consists in the construction, novel features, and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, pointed out in the claims hereto appended, and illustrated in the accompanyin one-sheet drawing, of which,

igure 1 is a plan view; and

Fig. 2 is a side elevational View. Y

Like characters of reference designate like parts in all the figures.

It is understood that various changes in as illustrated in the drawings comprises:

the form, proportion, size, shape, weight -A gate valve 1, having a gate 2 with a stem 3, said valve adapted to be attached to a pipo line or a well casing 4. Said valve 1 has a .laterally extending portion 5 through which said stem 3 slides and into which said gate 2 recedes when the valve is opened. The valve 1 is usual except that said portion 5 is provided with a horizontal lug 6 extending laterally from each of its sides. Said lugs 6 are each perforated laterally and provided With' ballv bearings 7 Within their perforations. Yokes 8 of strap iron or the like are attached to the outwardly extending ends of said lugs 6 by holding means 9, and rigidly support a hollow -cylinder 10 between their outer ends by means of 'rivets or the like 11. Said okes 8 are rigidly attached respectively to yo es 12 by bolts or the like 13. The outer ends of said yokes 12 rigidly support a second hollow cylinder 14.

l/Vithin the confines of said yokes 8 and 12, and longitudinally slidable one each in each of said bearings- 7, is provided a pair of parallel guide rods 15l and 16, which are rigidly attached at their ends to strap iron cross members 17 and 18, by nuts 19 or the like. Centrally,cr oss member 18 is provided with a perforation 20 around which is provided an outstanding hollow cylinder 2l. Cylinder 21 has its outer end covered by a cup shaped member 22 of circumference sufficient to permit its annular sides to envelop .the periphery of said cylinder 10. Withinsaid outstanding cylinder 21, is provided a compression spring 23, one end of which rests upon lthe body of valve l and which exerts' an outward force 0n said cup shaped member 22, and which is substantially(compressed when the gate 2 is in an open position. The office of said spring 23 will be more fully described later. Said cross member 17 is centrally provided ywith a solid outstanding cylindrical member 24, the outer end of which is provided with a cup shaped member 25 similar to said cup shaped member 22. 'The outer threaded end of said stem 3 is received and rigidly held by the base of said member 24. l/Vithin said cylinders 10 and 14, I provide respectively sylphons 26 and 27, of usual type. Said sylphons each have an expansion as great as the necessary travel of said gate 2 in its opening or closing movement. Said sylphon 26 is provided as a means for opening said gate 2, and for holding it open. Said sylphon 27 is rovided as a means for closing the gate and or holding it closed.

As a means for providing a power for operating the sylphons 26 and 27, I provide as follows:

A suitable tube 29, of armoured copper or the like leading from a tank 30 of compressed air or some non-inflammable gas. Sald line 29 branches into two lines 31 and 32. Line 32 leads through a three Way valve 33, preferably of the needle type, through a connection 34 in the outer end of said cylinder 10 and is connected Within said cylinder 10 to said sylphon 26 by usual means. Valve 33 is provided With a stub line 35, -its end 36 closed by some quick melting or fusible substance such as solder or the like. Said stub line 35 has a bleeder valve 37 for relieving pressure therein. In Fig. 1 it Will be seen that said end 36 of line 35 is positioned above the open end of said casing 4. It is to be understood that as many branch lines as desired may be provided, from said line 35, and that they may be placed at points of vantage in the derrick or building as the case may be. Each of said lines will have their ends fusible as has been described in reference to end 36. The hand Wheel 38 of valve 33 is adapted to control the How of the fluid from said line 32, but does not act upon line 35. Line 31 leads through a usual cut off valve 39, to a needle valve 40, positioned upon one'side of said cylinder 14 and slightly above said yoke 12. The end of the casting of needle valve 40 is provided with an adjusting nut 42, through which eX- tends the butt end of the needle 41 of said valve 40 toward said valve 1 with its axis parallel to the axis of said rod 16 and slightly above said rod. The said butt end of said needle 41 is provided With an adjusting nut 43, and a compression spring 44. The end of said rod 16 which lies nearest said valve 40is provided with an upwardly extending lug 45 the end of Which is in alinement with the axis of said needle 41, and which is adapted to contact said nut 43 and hold said valve 40 closedv When the gate 2 is in an open position. A pipe 46 leads from valve 40 through a bleeder valve 47 to the connection 48 in the outer end of said cylinder 14, and is connected to said sylphon 27 in a manner usual with sylphons.

In describing the operation herebelow, I have described it as if the valve Was positioned in the cellar of an oil or as Well drilling rig, and as if a plurality o the pipes 35 with fusible ends similar to end 36 had been positioned at desired points in the derrick. The action of the valve would be similar if positioned upon a gas supply line leading to a building or the like. In this event the lines 35 Would be placed at various points Within the building.

After the valve 1 has been properly installed on the casing 4, and the pipe lines connected to said tank 30, it will first be necessary to open the valve 1. This is accomplished by first closing valve 39 and opening bleeder valve 47 online 46; then closing bleeder valve 37 on line 35 and opening needle valve 33; the fluid in tank 30 is then released through the usual valve 49 With Which the tanks are normally provided. The fluid pressure Will travel through said lines 29 and 32 and into the sylphon 26. Sylphon 26 is expanded by the fluid pressure and forces said rods 15 and 16 to slide longitudinally through bearings 7 toward sylphon 27, by its force upon cup shaped member 22, cylinder 21, and said cross member 18. The above described movement of said rods 15 and 16 open said gate 2 by the movement of cross member 17 and said stem 3, and compress sylphon 27 by the movement of solid piston 24 and cup shaped member 25. The movement of rods 15 and 16, further closes valve 40by the contact of said lug 45 with nut 43, spring 44 being compressed. It will be understood that compression spring 23 in cylinder 21 is also compressed, and that the fluid pressure has been built up in said stub lines 35. After the gate 2 is opened and valve 40 is closed yby the fluid pressure as described, bleeder 47 and needle valve 33 are manually closed, and valve 39 is manually opened. The gate 2 is then held open by the fluid ressure in sylphon 26, and the device is set or its automatic protection of the Well.

In case of fire, the melting of any one of the fusible ends 36 of one of said lines 35, will cause pressure in said sylphon 26 to be relieved. Compression springs 23 and 41 will move the rods 15 and 16, and cross members 17 and 18 a short distance toward sylphon 26. This movement opens valve 40 and permits the Huid pressure to travel through line 46 to sylphon 27, which is eX- panded, closing the gate 2 and thus shutting off any How through casing 4.

It may be seen that the valve 1 may be operated selectively by the operation manually of bleeders 37 and 47 and valves 33 and 39.

bviously, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described herein, and applicable, for uses and purposes other than as detailed, and I therefore consider as my own all suchvmodifications and adaptations and other uses of the form of the device herein described as fairly fall Within the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

l. A device, as described, embodying a gate valve, a yoke rigidly disposed upon t-he body ofsaid valve, a pair of sylphons each operably supported on opposite ends of said yoke, a :trame slidably mounted on said body and connected at each end to one of said sylphons, said frame rigidly attached to the stem of said gate valve and adapted to be actuated by said sylphons for opening and closing said gate valve, and fluid pressure means for automatically actuating said sylphons when a fire occurs adjacent a part of said actuating means.

' 2. Organization as described in claim 1, in which said sylphon actuating means includes a Huid pressure supply tank with linesl communicating With both of said vsylphons, whereby pressure is held in one ofthe sylphons for opening and holding the gate open, and whereby a fusible ended stub line is provided, the melting of one of said ends adapted to relieve the pressure in said syl phon and directing the pressure into the other sylphon for closing the valve gate.

3. A device, as described having in combination, a gate valve, a yoke rigidly disposed upon the body of said valve, a pair of sylphons, operably supported on opposite ends of said yoke, a frame slidably mounted on said body and connected at each end to one of said sylphons, said frame rigidly attached to the stem of said gate valve and adapted to be actuated by said sylphonsfor opening and closing said gate valve, and Huid pressure means for automatically actuating said sylphons when a lire occurs adjacent a part of said actuating means.

4. In a device, of the class described, the

combination with a gate valve and a air of oppositely disposed sylphons, of a yo e rigidly disposed upon the body of the valve, said yoke operably supporting on each of its ends one of said sylphons, a frame slidably mounted on said` body and connected at each end to one of said sylphons, said frame rigidly attached to the stem of said gate valve and adapted to-be actuated by said sylphons for opening and closing said gate valve, and fluid pressure means for automatically actuating.

said sylphons when a :tire occurs adjacent a part of said actuating means.

9. Organization as described in claim 8, in which said sylphon actuating means includes a l'luid pressure supply tank with lines leading to both of said sylphons, whereby pressure is held in one of the sylphons for opening and holding .the gate open, and whereby a fusible ended stub line is provided, the melting of said end adapted to relieve the pressure in said sylphon and directing the pressure into the other sylphon for closing the valve gate.

. CARL M. LIEBER; i so combination with a gate valve, of a yoke rigy idly disposed upon the body of the valve, a pair of sylphons operably supported on opposite ends of said yoke, a slidable frame attached to the stem of the valve and adapted to be actuated by said sylphons for opening and closing the gate of said valve.

5. Organization `as described in claim 4, and iuid pressure means for actuating said sylphons selectively. i

6. Organization as described in claim 4, and fluid pressure means as described for automatically actuating said sylphons.

7. Organization as described'f in claim 3, in which said pressure means includes a Huid pressure/supply tank with lines leading to both of saidsylphons, whereby pressure is held in one of the sylphons for opening and holding the gate open, and whereby afusible ended stub line is provided, the melting of said end adapted to relieve the pressure in said sylphon and directing the pressure into the other sylphon for. closing the valve gate.

8. In a device of the class described, the 

